Grilled Balsamic Vinaigrette Chicken Salad

I found a recipe for a grilled chicken Caesar salad and since I am not a huge fan of Caesar dressing, I decided to marinate the chicken in a balsamic vinaigrette. I grilled the chicken, croutons, red onion and even the romaine hearts on the BBQ and topped it with grated Parmesan cheese. Salads taste so good when grilled on the BBQ!

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
Grilled Chicken Caesar on a Skewer

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
3/4 cup fat-free bottled Caesar dressing, divided
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 ounces country bread, crust trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Cooking spray
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
6 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Cracked black pepper

Preparation
1. Combine 2 tablespoons dressing and chicken in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 45 minutes, turning bag occasionally.

2. Preheat grill.

3. Thread bread cubes onto 2 (12-inch) skewers; coat with cooking spray. Place skewers on a grill rack. Grill 1 minute on each side or until browned.

4. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread chicken and onion alternately onto each of 6 (12-inch) skewers. Place on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally. Remove from grill; drizzle each chicken skewer with 2 teaspoons dressing.

5. Combine remaining 6 tablespoons dressing and lettuce in a bowl; toss well to coat. Place about 1 cup lettuce mixture on each of 6 plates; divide bread cubes evenly among plates. Place 1 chicken skewer on each plate. Top each serving with about 1 tablespoon cheese; sprinkle with pepper.

Poor Thatch

Poor Thatcher ended up with an ear ache last week after battling a cold. This kid will not swallow anything but milk so far, so getting him to keep down a syringe of antibiotics twice a day has been really difficult. He is better now but we still have to finish out the medicine for a full 10 days.

This is the look we get when he sees us coming towards him with the medicine

We have to make him laugh and then sneak it in his mouth

and then we get this reaction.

Luckily for us, it doesn't seem like he holds a grudge very long:

Preschool Take Two

Yesterday was Samantha's first day at her new preschool. Samantha did a summer program at another preschool, and while we liked most aspects of the school, we found a better fit for her for fall.

No tears, no nerves and sadly for me, no hug and kiss goodbye. She was too busy checking out all the fun things her new school had to offer.

When I picked her up the first thing she said to me was, "Mom, I didn't cry".

All in all, a much better experience the second time around.

Samantha with her new teacher, Miss Katie.

5 1/2 Months

What's new with Thatcher?

We have tried feeding him bananas, peas, sweet potatoes, pears and avocados. He equally detests them all. I think until I offer him a hearty New York steak, he will continue to push away the baby food.

He has graduated to his big boy stroller

TWO bottom teeth now

AND, he is looking like he will be crawling very soon, sort of......

Visit from the Grandparents

Last week my parents and Todd's mom (we missed you Papa Ward) came up to see us and I somehow managed to leave my camera in my purse the whole time. Too much going on I guess. Everyone got to see Samantha's last "performance" at ballet camp which was really great.

My parents stayed the night and took Samantha up to Solvang for the day. They went blueberry picking, sightseeing and came home with the best caramel apples we have ever had. Later that day we all went to the driving range where we realized we may have a future golf pro on our hands, although Sam kept saying she was playing hockey the whole time.

We finished up the visit with dinner at Petrini's.

Toned

Nice Abs

Sun-Dried Tomato Burgers

These are a fun twist on the traditional burger. I love sun-dried tomatoes in sandwiches, pasta and on pizza, so why not in a burger?

I made these with ground turkey, topped them with arugula on a whole-wheat burger bun. Don't be afraid to add extra sun-dried tomatoes. Very flavorful!

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Ingredients
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
6 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls, split
6 (1/8-inch-thick) red onion slices
6 romaine lettuce leaves

Preparation
Place tomatoes in a bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and finely chop.

Prepare grill.

Combine tomatoes, shallots, and next 7 ingredients (through garlic). Divide mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 160°. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes.

Place rolls, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 1 onion slice, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of roll.